Our People

Executive Team

Mark Cameron OBE

CEO

Mark joined The 5% Club in 2020 and has been Chief Executive since 2021, following a full career in the Royal Navy. Starting his career aged 16 as a technical apprentice, he went on to become a Chartered Engineer, Chartered Manager and Chartered Fellow CIPD. Awarded an OBE in 2017, Mark is passionate about ensuring everyone has access to high-quality learning and development opportunities, regardless of background or circumstance.

Lindsay Conroy

Director of Policy and Strategic Engagement

Lindsay Conroy

Director of Policy and Strategic Engagement

Lindsay has been a passionate advocate for apprenticeships throughout her 20-year career in the sector. Beginning her own journey as an apprentice, she has since gone on to lead national organisations with a focus on impacting policy to benefit apprentices, widening participation, and creating real parity of esteem between technical and academic pathways.

Helen Tanner

Membership & Events Manager

Helen Tanner

Membership & Events Manager

Helen's recent career has been in membership recruitment and retention, drawing on the skills and experience gained since her first "earn to learn" role, now put to use at The 5% Club. Before this, her conscious decision not to go to university saw her join the Civil Service, where she spent many successful and happy years supporting British companies exporting and investing overseas, with postings to Norway, Trinidad & Tobago and Croatia, and work with Eastern Europe and the Middle East.

Board of Trustees

The 5% Club is governed by a Board of Trustees. The Board provides oversight and direction, working with a Steering Board of senior members and The 5% Club’s Executive team to ensure delivery of The 5% Club’s aims. The Board currently has five members and meets quarterly.

The Board of Trustees also delegates certain tasks to working parties comprising Trustees and the Executive, supported by an Advisory Panel of voluntary experts with relevant skills and experience.

David Mercer

Chair

David Mercer

Chair

David is a seasoned general counsel and FTSE 250 company secretary with nearly 40 years’ experience working in the international resources and construction sectors. Australian by birth, David spent his early career in Melbourne before joining BP and transferring to its London head office in the early 1990s. He then enjoyed a succession of international postings across Europe, the Middle East and Asia before returning to London in 2006 to become General Counsel to BP’s global exploration.

Faheem Khan

Trustee

Faheem Khan

Trustee

Faheem Khan is an award-winning founder, keynote speaker, and national leader in social mobility, diversity, and youth empowerment. As the Founder and CEO of Future Leaders UK, one of the UK’s fastest-growing social mobility organisations, Faheem has built a nationwide movement that supports over 15,000 young people each year to access education, apprenticeships, and meaningful careers.

Faisal Mahomed

Trustee

Faisal Mahomed

Trustee

Faisal is an experienced executive, currently Managing Director, ESN, EE. He has had a 360 career, working and leading many functions including sales, commercial, operations, and transformation. He brings a wealth of international experience, having had postings across the Americas and Africa, with fluency in both Spanish and French.

Charlene Sagoe

Trustee

Charlene Sagoe

Trustee

Charlene Sagoe was born in Liberia, West Africa, and spent her early years in Romania where her father served as a foreign diplomat for the Liberian Embassy. Her family moved to London in 1983 where her father continued his diplomatic mission. Charlene began her professional career in Broadcast Media working in middle and senior management roles with a number of international broadcasters including’ the Sci-Fi Channel, National Geographic Channel and Sky.

Ritika Wadhwa

Trustee

Ritika Wadhwa

Trustee

Ritika was born and brought up in India. She went on to achieve an MBA in the UK and broke all barriers as an immigrant to Canada and the UK. Ritika has over 30 years of experience working at Board level across 3 continents, with senior stakeholders – within the public and private sector. Ritika is on a mission to bring inclusion and innovation to the heart of organisations, and she believes that Cultural Intelligence (CQ) is a capability which can do that.